African Fresh Picks: Davido, Tiwa Savage, Black Sherif, Lojay, Lil Kesh, Zinoleesky & More

What a month April has been, with plenty of albums dropping from the sky to help soundtrack the upcoming summer.

Davido‘s new fifth album 5ive is another testament of his unshakable Afrobeats icon status, while he blends the beloved genre with R&B, amapiano, dancehall and more for a rich, global listening experience. And Rema performed his new Afro-R&B track “Bout U” live for the first time during his Coachella debut earlier this month, and it debuted at No. 5 on the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart last week (chart dated April 26), sliding in right above his last single “Baby (Is it a Crime)” at No. 6.

We’ve highlighted 10 of our favorite new songs by African acts that have come out roughly within the last month. Check out our latest Fresh Picks, and enjoy some springtime tunes with our Spotify playlist below.

Rema, “Bout U” 

On the heels of Rema’s Sade-sampling “Baby (Is It a Crime)” hit, he cranks out another smooth banger with “Bout U.” Rema acts as a hopeless romantic who doesn’t want to come down from the high of his dreamy love affair. And just like his fascination with his favorite girl, Rema and the track’s co-producer Thisizlondon keep us hooked with the hypnotic electric guitar that’s occasionally shredding throughout the song.

Tay Iwar, “Non-stop” 

Tay Iwar works his charm on the ultra-smooth “Non-stop” cut from his latest EP Reflection Station. His expertly layered harmonies and the track’s sweet-sounding groove, which Iwar produced himself, will make you want to listen to this nonstop.  

Lojay feat. Odeal, “Mwah!” 

Lojay and Odeal deliver sweet nothings from their lips to our ears in their latest collaboration “Mwah!” Lyrics like “Swing my way with your cinnamon fragrance” heighten the sexual attraction conveyed in the Afro-R&B heater. But the artists’ instant chemistry, as Lojay put it in a press release, is also palpable. “I had listened to Odeal’s music before meeting him, but I really didn’t know what to expect from the session. I think that was part of what made it so magical,” he explained further.  

Davido, “Don’t Know” 

Davido finds himself at the mercy of his lover on the tantalizing “Don’t Know” cut from his latest studio album 5ive. The springiness of the log drums underneath the hook, “You don’t, you don’t, you don’t even know what you do to me,” scratches an itch in your brain, leaving listeners just as satisfied as he is with her.  

Black Sherif, “Body” 

Despite the tough title of Black Sherif’s sophomore album IRON BOY, the highlight track “Body” shows off his soft, yet sexy edge. Lyrics like “My soul is drifting away” and “You know my body wants you” present the song’s central tension of nourishing yourself on a deeper level or caving into your corporeal desires over Dystinkt Beats’ introspective drill production.  

Lil Kesh feat. Reekado Banks, “Dan Dan”

Lil Kesh’s Forever Getting It (FGI) EP is full of intricate drum work, complex rhythms and creative melodies, and “Dan Dan” is a perfect representation of the project — endlessly compelling, constantly innovative and yet still an insistent earworm that is bound to get stuck in fans’ heads. As with any Kesh project, the only issue is that it’s too short.

Davido feat. Victoria Monét, “Offa Me”

Off Davido’s first full-length since the iconic 2023 album Timeless, “Offa Me” is a standout, with Victoria Monét’s vocals kicking things off and carrying the hook, before David comes through and delivers his distinctive melodic voice, with a steamy KLVDR-directed video to go with it.

ODUMODUBLVCK, “Legolas”

Kicking off the month with the surprise mixtape THE MACHINE IS COMING, ODUMODUBLVCK delivered his first extended release in 18 months, and after a series of turned up, high-energy bangers, “Legolas” shows off another side to him — more introspective, a bit calmer, with a song comparing himself to the Lord of the Rings elf who came through tribulations to make himself (and his mama) proud. It’s another sign that ODUMODUBLVCK has many sides to his artistry, in addition to his trademark hyped-up verses.

Zinoleesky feat. Toosii, “Suit & Tie”

Zino is another artist who dropped off a full-length album this month — what a blessed month April has been, after a relatively low-key year so far — and his signature vocal styling is on full display on “Suit & Tie,” one of Gen Z’s standout cuts. But it’s Toosii who steals the show, sliding through with an extended verse that manages to be both emotional and bombastic at once. The entire project is great, but this is the one.

Tiwa Savage, “You4Me”

The Afrobeats titan is readying her next album, and with latest single “You4Me” she starts off with an interpolation of Tamia’s “So Into You,” before dropping a tough drum pattern and her crooning vocals over top. The lift returns as the basis for the hook, which gives the song a nostalgic edge, one of the signifiers of her R&B stylings of late, while she trades lines with Tamia in the chorus.